Last night my 5 year old lost her first tooth while brushing her teeth (it has been loose for the past 2 weeks). She was so cute and so excited to put the tooth under her pillow. Her dad and I were back and forth as to how much money "the tooth fairy" should put under her pillow. We finally settled for $2. I don't even remember getting money for chores let alone lost teeth when I was a kid. What a lucky kid...now the hard part to teach her the value of the $.

Woke up super early this morning and noticed a change in the sunrise. Summer is almost over, which here in AZ is a welcome sight!! Just waiting for the trip digits to subside......


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It's really hard to admit defeat (at least for me), but I don't think I failed completely. The 30 day challenge is not super hard, but demanding of my time all the same. The short of it is, I have fallen off track w/the 30 day challenge, but with good cause. My days got busy with family, period. My older daughter started soccer again, and I'm not coaching this time, but I am the "team mom"...I guess I just can't, not, be involved. My younger daughter (3) is potty training, can you say "perpetual laundry?" Both of my girls starting new schools next week (endless paperwork it seems) one of the schools I'm the head of their version of the PTA. My dear cousin (who's also my younger daughter's godmother) came to visit over this past weekend (so mush fun). Oh yeah, hubby needed some attention somewhere in between too. Our older dog (we have min pin and a yellow lab - min pin is older) is losing some teeth, she's 8 now. And, audit at work. Don't get me wrong, I signed up for all this busyness, but it is the happiest busyness I have ever experienced, I adore my husband and girls so much - my whole family for the that matter, good and bad! Anyhoo, life got busy and I had to prioritize a bit and not miss out on family going ons. I did fit in a few runs and yoga classes here and there (got my cousin to go to a class) and got into the good habit of eating healthly small meals every 3 hours or so. So all in all, I am not doing too bad...always, always, always room for improvement, but still pushing through and appreciating every minute of this life I have.


So 30 day challenge...I'll meet up with you again one day...TBC.


Have a great rest of the week everyone and don't miss out on the "important" little things!!!

Back from a great weekend in Long Beach attending the E Hula Mau hula competition! I was in hula heaven!! The performances were thrilling to watch and it was so exciting during the awards ceremony! The cheers and hugs and aloha filled the room!!


There was lots of good yummy food to eat too, but lots of activity also! I mean, we walked all over Long Beach and of course lots of hula (kanikapila style) in the evenings so even though we ate like crazy....we stayed active - hope that counts as a workout...hahaha!


This last afternoon was great tho! My friend took me to the cutest little cafe in the Belmont District. We dined al fresco on a great onion soup and a nice glass of wine - sun was shining, people were out walking, good conversation...it was a perfect way to end my trip. Hope to go back some day.

OMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!

DEEP BREATHS AND A QUIET MIND.

YEA RIGHT I TRY BUT SO FAR NO SUCH LUCK!!!!!!!

MAYBE ONE DAY.

THE UNIVERSE AND GOD WILLING.

WELL I KNOW THEY ARE BUT I`M TOO MUCH OF A CONTROL FREAK TO LISTEN SOMETIMES.

ALL I KEEP HEARING AND READING ABOUT ARE BED BUGS!!!!!
IS ANYONE ELSE TERRIFIED YET?

Just watched Super Size Me for the first tme and I will never ever eat fast food or put another soda to my mouth ever again.

WORKED OUT WEDNSDAY,THURSDAY MISSED FRIDAY WILL SHOOT FOR SUNDAY.HAVEN`T ATE ANY FRIED FOODS.YAY.DON`T REALLY LIKE THEM.OK WEEK.HOPEFULLY WILL BE A GOOD WEEKEND FOR ALL.

Food: For Breakfast I had leftover chocolate curried cauliflower and baked chicken...I didn't even heat it up. For Lunch I had teriyaki grilled wild salmon and asparagus cold salad. For Dinner I will have the same as breakfast most likely.

Ingredients: If you are a curry freak, try mixing these ingredients together then pour over already steamed (but still firm!) cauliflower, and simmer on as low as possible for 20 minutes;

Chocolate Curry Sauce: chocolate unsweetened almond milk, cacoa powder, cacoa nibs, sea salt, hot curry powder (I use 10x more curry powder than any recipe would tell you to use, but try using the normal amount first then the next time double it. If you want more calories, add coconut milk and coconut oil.

Asparagus Salad: blanched asparagus, cooked but still somewhat firm cut into 2 inch pieces, maui onion or sweet onion chopped, yellow cherry tomatoes, feta, pinenuts, a little flax seed oil and light colored vinegar. I got this at a good deli but I did not eat the feta, onion, pinenuts or dressing.

Exercise: did a kick butt circuit upper and lower with the 2 min, 1 min, 45 second thingy before lunch, hydrated, stretched and hot tubbed and showered! Whoo Hooo! What a way to start the weekend.

Notes to Myself: Grazing, yeah, ummm, if you graze, munch, snack, you have to Count It!...it is still food....one good way to address this bad friend is to keep a note of everything you put into your mouth for atleast 3 days...It is astonishing...If you are the cook and you are tasting and grazing and sampling you have to count it...sad but true...

Off to drop my Nursing school application off. I actually woke up at 5am and was working out by 530am! I feel great :) Just hope I don't fall asleep at 5pm!

I still have my run later on tonight. I am shooting for a high protein meal today to help my muscles repair. I think I will have some salmon and quinoa.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Day 2 of the 5 day workout challange and I did work out...boy did i ever: 90 minutes of learning verse 3 of a a really kick butt kahiko hula. I was dripping with sweat and think I even may have pulled a groin muscle...ouch!! But it was a good workout and as always, hula rejuvinates me in so many ways..much more than just the workout part.


BUT...I have to admit to a "FAIL" when it comes to the food - I acutally had some leftover stirfry yesterday and as the last fork-full went in to my mouth it dawned on me that it was stir FRY (operative word being FRY).....DANG!! Oh well....I did not have any fried food today and tomorrow looks promising as well. So perhaps it's not so epic....more like a foul....a challange foul, but defintely not an OUT!

Peace and Aloha....

GOT IN A LITE WORKOUT SUNDAY AND TODAY.
AS FOR AVOIDING FRIED FOODS SHOULD BE EASY AS WE GENERALLY DON`T EAT THEM.HAVE ALSO UPPED MY WATER INTAKE.YAY ME!!!!!!NOW IF ONLY I COULD LEARN TO CHILLAX MORE.

Oh geesh, reallly trying to stay on track...I had a really busy weekend. It's no excuse, but got off the track a little bit.


Day 11 (Saturday): Focus Push-Up Challenge

Didn't quite get to it - but did run 6 miles


Day 12 (Sunday): Focus Cut out White Starches

Failed miserably - had some pita chip crackers and a few other bread things

Exercise: 90 mins. Hot Yoga


Day 13 (Monday): Focus Plan a Sunday Funday

Have set some plans with hubby.


Inspiration of the week: Our good friends, more like family, Cathy and Richard are amazing. We have done many family events together, we've mountain biked together, etc. They introduced me to Hot Yoga about a year ago. In fact ,we usually meet up on Sundays for an early class. They recently earned "students of the month" for the studio. They are just amazing people, they are active, friendly, loving, generous, fun and up beat...they are the kind of "real" people that just lift your spirits up. They are in their mid 50s and early 60s and my inspiration that no matter what age you can have fun, be active and live life to the fullest. They'll probably never know that I'm blogging about them in admiration...my husband and I are so blessed to have them as friends.

Holy Cow! Has any one seen the T.V. Series Spartacus? I just finished watching Season 1 on Pay per view (it was free though). WOW! Sorry Bill & Sookie I think I've found a new favorite show!

Monday Monday Monday - it's becoming my fave day because I am left to my very own devices!! An official day off.... Just me and my cat roming around the house doing nothing...or everything! Basically whatever we want. Life is good.

Groceries:

Protein: smoked chicken from Whole Foods (delish), raw chicken breasts to be cooked up for the weeks use, skinless & boneless wild caught sardines (23 grams of protein) whoo hoo!

Carbs: organic zucchini (if my Dad knew I paid for zucchini he would laugh his butt off) you don't ever pay for zucchini in the summer where I was raised...organic red cabbage, did every color of cabbage except red, so on to the red...(I steam it whole, then slice it like noodles then re-fry in a tiny bit of coconut oil, with lots of spices and a side of protein, yumsters).....Boston lettuces (again if my Dad knew I actually paid for lettuce in the summer he would roll over laughing) hey, I tried to garden but the bugs get the best of me....

Fats: organic coconut oil, chocolate endangered spieces dark with cacao nibs, raw cashews

Misc: brewer's yeast, pink Himalayan salt, whole oats, low sodium chicken broth, coconut milk (weekend treat), Hungarian Paprika in the red tin, regular and Hot...

Exercise: Saturday did all those exercise suggestions from Gabby's Volleyball Beach Body page. Did them hard with weights, poured sweat, did the 2/1/45 second circuit. Did not know how to do the volleyball jumps so made them up. Some guy came up to me and said "was that your arm jumping up above the fence?" ahhh yep, that was me..Butt sore today, so did upper body. People wanted to chat so my workout was compromised to say the least... but I just chilled. Also did some cardio yesterday afternoon and will this afternoon too.

House: found this blue electrostatic floor dusting thing looks like a blue terry cloth, works like a charm, picks up tons of dust and stuff from hardwood floors, too bad it's made in China, and getting the crap off of it for the next go around is not exactly pleasant.

Garden: if it uses lots of water or bugs like it, forget about it. Take the easy route, go with the low water stuff that bugs and critters don't like.

Gave up this week: ALL DIARY, even 0% greek yogurt.. don't know how long I will last, but have not had any diary, cheese anything made with cow's milk or any animals milk at all for over a week.

Notes: don't believe anything a food corporation tells you, think and study for yourself!

JUST WATCHED THE HOUR OF POWER.NOW TO SHOWER.THEN TACKLE WHAT SEEMS LIKE THE MOUNT EVEREST OF LAUNDRY.HOPE EVERYONE HAS WONDERFUL AND PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY!!!!!!

Wow. Today was busy! I went to Pilates this AM with a TOUGH instructor. It's really great to get a workout in and then I feel like I have the rest of the day free. :)

My hubby and I went to our friend's house where he played some volleyball and I played around with their horses. All in all, a great day. The traffic was terrible driving down, but hey, what should I expect as its Summer in California!

Tomorrow, I plan on running at least 6 miles before it gets too hot. I live by the beach, so really I think Im being a wuss saying that it gets "too hot". The high tomorrow is supposed to be 82. Not that hot, but still! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!